Ms ELLIS (5:20 PM) —It gives me pleasure to speak on this motion. I will take the opportunity to make a couple of important points in relation to the development. Whilst the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance and Administration has not made direct mention of the location of this development in relation to the co-location of Joint Services College in Weston, there is a very distinct connection between the two projects. I have had the pleasure of attending at least one public meeting that I can recall, conducted by the local Weston Creek Community Council earlier this year, where the issue was discussed. The potential for this particular project was outlined to the local community and related very directly to the co-location of the Joint Services College at Weston, a project which I have previously spoken about in this House and have welcomed very warmly from my electorate's point of view.

I want to make a couple of points in a constructive way. In my opinion, as the local member, the development is very welcome. I know that discussions that have been held within the local community, in general terms, have been positive but I do need to note for the sake of those people who hold a particular position that there is a small number of local residents who have outlined some concerns, not about the project itself but about some ramifications that could be felt within the local region, particularly in the relationship to road safety and road access to the area. I know that this subject has been brought up in those local community meetings, with some gusto at times.

I would like to point out to the parliamentary secretary—and I am sure it will be carried out—the need for the Commonwealth, through the Defence Housing Authority, to work in close conjunction with the ACT authorities to ensure that, wherever that responsibility falls, the costs lay and the need ends, those particular aspects of the project are attended to to allow a seamless and trouble free adoption of this particular project. It is welcome. Weston Creek, where Stirling is located, is an area that has been there for some years now, and the injection of families and economy through a housing development of this kind is obviously going to be very welcome. I know that the local schools in the area are not at all unhappy to see this happening. I am sure that it is safe to say with no risk that the local small businesses are also going to be very happy to see a project of this kind undertaken. I am sure that those people who are welcoming it, as I am, are doing it in the same light as they did when the Joint Services College announcement was made. I would like to reiterate that there are some, to us maybe minor but to the people who live there relatively major, considerations that need to be worked on in relation to road access and road safety. I do not know whether the Joint Public Works Committee are going to have the opportunity to visit the area to have a look at this project, but seeing as it is only just down the road I would like to encourage them to do so so that they can actually see the point that I am making.

Putting that traffic issue aside, I think this is a very good project. It is going to offer an injection into the housing industry here in the post-GST rush period which may also prove to be quite timely as well, particularly when we consider that so many of our building industry people in the past year or two have been finding greener pastures in Sydney, where something big is happening in September. I would like to thank the parliamentary secretary for his advice of this issue to me earlier today. I acknowledge that quite happily. I do wish the project every success and I do look forward particularly to seeing a collegiate approach between the Commonwealth and the ACT government authorities in relation to all or any of those issues that I have raised that may be of concern to the local community. I would like to reiterate that this is a welcome project that we do encourage.